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Save Your Skin: 15 Ways To Make Your Skin Healthier

We all want perfect skin, but what does it actually take to keep our complexion looking youthful forever? Giving up bad habits and embracing new healthy rituals could help to keep your skin looking beautiful long into old age. Here are just fifteen ways to improve your skin’s health.

Moisturise

Moisturising is one of the most effective ways to ward of wrinkles. As we get older, our skin loses its ability to produce its natural oil called sebum. This causes the skin to become dry, leading to wrinkling. Moisturizer helps to substitute these oils in our skin. By starting to moisturise whilst you’re young, you can prolong wrinkles even more so. There are lots of different moisturisers out there suited to different skin types – this guide athttp://www.marieclaire.co.uk can help you to find the best one for your complexion.

Exfoliate

Exfoliating helps to remove dead skin cells on the surface of your skin making your skin appear smoother. You can exfoliate by either running an exfoliation brush over the surface of your skin or by using a special scrub substance. When it comes to latter option, you should make sure to look for scrubbing substance suited to your skin – there are scrubs for dry skin and scrub for spots and blackheads. You’re best exfoliating in the shower or over the sink when your skin is already wet. Unlike many other methods in this list, exfoliation gives you instant results making your skin feel beautifully smooth – you won’t be able to stop stroking your cheeks!

Stay hydrated

Drinking lots of water can improve the health of all your organs and this includes the skin. It helps to improve the flow of nutrients to our skin whilst flushing out toxins, keeping our skin looking radiant whilst helping to repair damage more quickly. Ideally, we should all be drinking 8 glasses of water a day – this helps all our organs to work at their optimum condition.

Protect yourself in the sun

Some sun exposure can be healthy for our skin – it’s from the sun that we get most of our vitamin D which helps our skin’s immune system. However, too much sun exposure can cause sunburn, which can accelerate the wrinkling process. Sunburn can also lead to more serious skin conditions such as skin cancer. When outdoors in the sun, you should always wear sunscreen or cover up to avoid getting burnt – it may take you longer to get a tan, but it will be a healthier tan. Sunscreen comes in various different factors, but usually anything less than factor 20 is ineffective. Like moisturisers, here are sunscreens out there for different skin types – this guide at https://www.glamour.com/ offers some useful information on sunscreens, which could help you to find the best product for you.

Avoid squinting

Heard of ‘crow’s feet’ before? These are wrinkles that appear around the corners of the eyes and they’re primarily caused by squinting too much. We’re most likely to squint when there’s too much or too little light entering the eyes. For example, intense sunlight often causes us to squint, which is where sunglasses come in use – these accessories won’t just make you look cool temporarily, they’ll protect your looks long into the future. Meanwhile, you should also avoid reading in a dimly lit room as this can also cause us to squint. If you need corrective vision, you should also make sure that you’re always wearing the right prescription glasses or contact lenses as this will limit squinting.

Stop smoking

It should come as no surprise that smoking is also bad for the skin. In fact, smoking has a number of negative effects on the skin. It can make our skin appear pale by restricting blood flow to the skin. It can also cause many facial wrinkles including wrinkles around the lips, wrinkles on the forehead and bags under the eyes all as a result of the heat and smoke. Quitting smoking could help to save your complexion. The likes of vaping is much better for your skin – you can buy vaping products from sites such ashttps://www.vapeshop.co.uk/. Chewing gum, wearing patches and hypnosis are a few other measures that could help you to quit.

Go easy on the booze

Unfortunately, alcohol is no good for your skin either. Not only does alcohol dehydrate your body, it can also damage your immune system and ability to rebuild cells all leading to pallid and aged skin. It’s also an insulin booster, which can lead to inflammation and a puffy appearance. All in all, it’s no wonder none of us look good when we’ve got a hangover. Reduce your alcohol intake and you could see a huge improvement in your skin quality.

Cut down on sugary snacks

Those with a sweet tooth may also be disappointed to discover that sugar is also bad for the skin. Sugar spikes our insulin levels, which leads to inflammation. This can make conditions like acne and eczema much worse. Soft drinks are the biggest culprit as they often contain more sugar than even the sweetest snacks (a can of coke contains 39 grams of sugar which is the equivalent of 9 teaspoons). Sticking to only a couple soft drinks a day and drinking more water could have a significant effect on your skin. You could also try drinking sugar-free soft drinks instead – this guide athttps://www.coca-cola.co.uk offers a list of low-sugar and no-sugar alternatives to popular soft drinks.

Eat more leafy greens

When it comes to foods that are healthy for our skin, leafy greens come up top. The likes of spinach, lettuce and broccoli are all rich in nutrients that can help to flush out toxins from our skin and repair damage. Start eating more salads and you could start to see a glow returning to your skin. You can also experiment with smoothies and soups as a way if integrating these greens in a more exciting way.

Get your fix of omega-3

Omega 3 fatty acids are one of the most important nutrients for your skin, helping to absorb and retain water and ward off wrinkles. You can find these nutrients in all kinds of foods – the most plentiful source being fish. If you’re not a fan of fish, you can also get your fix of omega-3 in walnuts and flaxseeds. You can also take omega-3 in the form of supplements such as cod liver oil – these are so popular that you’re likely to find them in your local supermarket.

Drink green tea

Green tea is also great for the skin. It contains catechins, which have anti-inflammatory properties, helping to combat spots and rashes. These catechins are also able to slow down aging, preventing wrinkles. Green tea has many other health benefits such as protecting the heart, brain and bones – it’s often heralded as a superdrink.

Stay active

Being physically active is also good for the skin. When we exercise, the blood flows faster helping oxygen and nutrients to reach the surface of the skin. This can help to keep your skin glowing. There are also other advantages to exercise that can affect the skin. The risk of getting cellulite and varicose veins can be reduced by exercising.

Take care with makeup

Most makeup causes no damage to skin – whilst some people can get allergies, there are now many hypoallergenic makeup which can prevent rashes. Those with oily skin however may want to be careful of wearing makeup too often. Makeup can block up pores in the skin leading to spots and acne. It’s best to not wear makeup every day and to always take it off before you go to bed.

Take time to destress

Stress can also take its toll on your skin. When we are stressed our body releases a hormone called cortisol, which makes our skin more reactive to inflammation. This could lead to outbreaks of acne or rashes. It’s not always possible to remove the triggers in our life causing stress, however you may be able to find ways of destressing, helping you to lower your cortisol levels. Some of the best ways to destress include meditation, exercise and taking a hot bath.

Get your beauty sleep

Your skin could also be suffering if you’re not getting enough sleep. Not only does a lack of sleep cause stress, but it also limits the time our body has to heal. When we’re tired, we’re also more prone to getting puffy eyes, which can develop into permanent wrinkles if you’re persistently tired. Getting a good night’s sleep could help to make your skin look more rejuvenated by preventing this puffiness, helping your skin heal and making you feel less stressed.